The Dark Knight

27 July 2015

The Dark Knight 2008

• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Based on Book: No
• Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Monique Gabriela Curnen
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Christian Bale – Public Enemies, I’m Not There, Terminator Salvation, Batman Begins, The Prestige, Equilibrium, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Velvet Goldmine, Little Women, Swing Kids, Henry V
• Michael Caine: Inception, Batman Begins, Harry Brown, Flawless, The Prestige, Children of Men, The Weatherman, Last Orders, Get Carter, The Cider House Rules, Little Voice, Mona Lisa, Educating Rita, Sleuth (both versions),Alfie
• Heath Ledger – The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, I’m Not There, Brokeback Mountain, The Brothers Grimm, Ned Kelly. The Monster’s Ball, A Knight’s Tale, 10 Things I Hate about You
• Gary Oldman: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Harry Potter, Batman Begins, The Book of Eli, Friends, The Fifth Element, Immortal Beloved, Léon, Romeo is Bleeding, True Romance, Dracula, JFK, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Prick Up Your Ears, Sid and Nancy, Meantime
• Cillian Murphy:  Transcendence, Inception, Batman Begins, Cold Mountain, Girl with the Pearl Earring, 28 Days Later
• Aaron Eckhart - The Rum Diary, Rabbit Hole, Conversations with Other Women, The Pledge, Erin Brockovich
• Maggie Gyllenhaal -  Stranger than Fiction, Paris je t’aime, Sherrybaby, Mona Lisa’s Smile, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Adaption, Riding in Cars with Boys, Donnie Darko, Waterland
• Monique Gabriela Curnen – Contagion, Half Nelson
• Morgan Freeman - Transcendence, Oblivion, Invictus, Batman Begins, Gone Baby Gone, The Contract, Million Dollar Baby, Bruce the Almighty, Levity, Along Came a Spider, Nurse Betty, Amistad, Kiss the Girls, Moll Flanders, Seven, The Shawshank Redemption, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Glory, Driving Miss Daisy
•  Why: Christian Bale. Good film.
• Seen: Once before. Now 10 July 2015 

A gang of wannabe Batmans. A hot-shot new DA romancing Batman’s sweetheart Rachel. The Joker, a really creepy Joker. Lots and lots of technical gadgets.

And generally a heavy story. This is not a feel-good Batman. Our hero has heavy ethical decisions to make and they don’t turn out well. Being a vigilante hero isn’t as much fun as Bruce Wayne might have thought.

As before the cast is excellent. Heath Ledger is especially strong and Maggie Gyllenhaal is more grown-up as Rachel than Katie Holmes (although I liked her too).

It’s a long and sometimes confusing journey and the moral dilemmas continue right to the ending. Which is strong enough to lift it to

4 * of 5